


On Call

by Zaxal



Category: Arrested Development
Genre: Canon Relationship Breakup, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 17:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10813935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaxal/pseuds/Zaxal
Summary: Michael gets a call in the middle of the night.





	On Call

**Author's Note:**

> For a one-line prompt on Tumblr: "I'll be right over."

Gob makes Bad Decisions.

Michael doesn't know if this is a conscious effort on his part or if he's truly that oblivious, but the end result is the same. Gob makes a Bad Decision, it backfires, he calls Michael either to fix it or for emotional support.

Michael enjoys neither of these duties, but, given a choice, he'll choose solving the problem Gob's created over trying to support his emotions that Gob himself doesn't know how to parse out.

Sometimes, though – most of the time, actually – he's not given a choice.

His cellphone rings several hours after Michael's gone to bed. Michael attempts to ignore it, but he gets about three rings in before he's sitting up, pulling the phone to his ear without even checking who the caller is.

"What's happening?"

" _Michael_."

Michael almost hangs up reflexively at the sound of his brother speaking heatedly, angry. "Gob. What is it?"

Gob doesn't say anything at first, breathing heavily as he tries to get his thoughts in line. Michael eyes the digital clock on his bedside table, grimacing when it's 2:30 in the morning. He's about to ask again or tell him goodnight, because if Gob's calling him this late, he's probably drunk. But Michael also knows that he's perpetually on call to solve the family's problems, so he gives him a moment more.

"He broke up with me."

Michael's eyes widen. "Gob," he says, gentler, but Gob steams ahead, rambling angrily.

"H- he- he, he doesn't want to be with- with a guy who can't- doesn't want to be- Because I'm n- not some kind of _fairy_."

Michael knows that Gob doesn't mean it. Gob had been happier, more at peace since coming to terms with his attraction to men and especially to Tony. This isn't only the product of internalized homophobia – though Gob would probably take a lifetime of therapy to work through that completely. He's hurt and throwing up walls, trying to pin the blame anywhere but himself.

Gob does this constantly but especially when it's something that matters to him.

In the end, asking for clarification – which Michael _desperately_ wants because he's nosy – isn't going to make this better. "Where are you?" Michael asks, breaking through his brother's ramblings.

"The yacht," Gob answers in a tone of voice that implies the ' _idiot_ ' at the end of the sentence.

"I'll be right over."

"No!" Gob says too loudly, then tries to laugh it off. "I mean, no, right? I don't need you to- to come over so I can cry on your shoulder or something, geeze, Mikey."

That's exactly what Gob needs.

"I mean it's just- we're just-" he tries to keep the energy going. "He just _left_ , and I- because I-" There's a heavy beat of silence. When Gob next speaks, it sounds lost, hurt, "What did I do?"

"I don't know, Gob."

Gob's breathing shakes, and he stammers a few times, trying to find the excuses, the self defense from whatever mistake he made that led to Tony leaving.

Gob's Bad Decision was, this time, thinking that because a relationship had seemed perfect that there would be no bumps, no fights, no complications.

If Michael's honest, he doesn't want to do this. He's tired, and it probably hasn't occurred to Gob to own up to his mistake and try to fix it, which means the Tony Wonder train definitely hasn't left the station for good. He just has to run to catch it.

But Gob is, above all other things – stolen kisses in the hallways when they were teenagers, crushing hugs that remind Michael what it's like to be beneath him, everything that used to be but can't be anymore because there's no excuses now – Michael's brother.

"I'll be right over," he repeats firmly, and this time, Gob doesn't argue.

After he hangs up, it takes him a few minutes to collect himself, biting the bittersweet memories back before he can go and be the brother he needs to be.


End file.
